Glutamine and glutamate supplementation raise milk glutamine concentrations in lactating gilts

Abstract

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in milk, and lactation is associated with increased glutamine utilization both for milk synthesis and as a fuel for the enlarged small intestine. A number of recent studies have indicated that lactation is accompanied by a mild catabolic state in which skeletal muscle proteins are degraded to provide amino acids that are used to synthesize additional glutamine. In this study we tested the hypothesis that supplemental L-glutamine or the commercially available glutamine supplement Aminogut (2.5% by weight mixed into daily feed) provided to gilts from 30 days prior to parturition until 21 days post-parturition would prevent a decrease in skeletal muscle glutamine while increasing the glutamine content of the milk. Muscle glutamine content decreased (P < 0.05) in control animals during lactation but this was prevented by supplementation with either L-glutamine or Aminogut. In this study, neither lactation nor supplementation had any effect on plasma glutamine or glutamate content. Free glutamine, and the total glutamine plus glutamate concentrations in milk from the control and the Aminogut group rose (P < 0.05) during the first 7 days of lactation, with milk concentrations in the L-glutamine supplemented group showing a similar trend (P = 0.053). Milk glutamate remained constant between day 7 and 21 of lactation in the control and L-glutamine supplemented groups, but by day 21 of lactation the free glutamine, glutamate, and glutamine plus glutamate concentrations in milk from Aminogut-treated gilts were higher than those of control gilts. Thus dietary glutamine supplementation can alleviate the fall in intramuscular glutamine content during lactation in gilts, and may alleviate some of the catabolic effects of lactation. Furthermore, the increased milk glutamine content in the supplemented gilts may provide optimum nutrition for piglet development.

Glutamine and glutamate (AminoGut) supplementation influences sow colostrum and mature milk composition

“…Although glutamine and glutamate are usually regarded as nonessential amino acids there is increasing evidence that they should be considered as conditionally essential in a number of physiological and pathological states. We, and others, have shown that lactation represents a mild catabolic state due, in part, for the need to provide additional glutamine for milk synthesis and as a fuel for the enlarged intestine, and results in a loss of endogenous protein (lean body mass) in the sow (Clowes et al, 1998(Clowes et al, , 2005Kim and Easter, 2001;Manso et al, 2012). Studies with recently weaned piglets have shown benefits of supplemental glutamine (Kitt et al, 2002;Lopez-Pedrosa, et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2008;Wu et al, 1996;Xiao et al, 2012a,b,c;Yoo et al, 1997;Yi et al, 2005).…”

“…The experiment was carried out from September to October 2010. One week prior to the expected date of delivery sows were transferred to individual farrowing crates and body weight (estimated using a biometric method based on thoracic circumference and body length, Manso et al, 2012) was 298 712 and 293 711 Kg, and back fat thickness (ultrasound) was 20.770.6 and 13.0 70.2 mm (p o0.05), for Control and Aminogut sows respectively. The temperature in the farrowing house ranged between 22 and 34 1C with a mean relative humidity between 43% and 97%.…”

“…In addition, two studies have demonstrated improvements in growth and health of suckling piglets, either by receiving glutamine supplements by gavage twice daily (Haynes et al, 2009) or the use of supplemental glutamine and glutamate in creep feeders prior to weaning (Cabrera et al, 2013). Recently we established that supplementing the lactating gilt with either glutamine or a mixture of glutamine and glutamate (AminoGut) prevented some of the loss of lean body mass in the gilt and also resulted in increased glutamine plus glutamate content in the milk (Manso et al, 2012). In the work reported here colostrum and mature milk were analyzed to determine if milk variables, other than glutamine and glutamate, were influenced by supplementation with 1.5% AminoGut.…”

The nutritional importance of glutamine in the lactating sows physiology

“…240, Art. 1582, Setembro, 2013 gestação e lactação (WATFORD, 2008;ROTH, 2008;WU, 2010;MANSO, et al 2012 Diversos trabalhos foram executados com diversos tipos celulares, como linfócitos, macrófagos, enterócitos, entre outros, com a finalidade de se testar a utilização da glutamina pelas células, mostrando que a manutenção das estruturas e funções das células, bem como o aumento da proliferação celular, puderam ser obtidos com a utilização da glutamina em meios de cultura (CALDER & YAQOOB, 1999;NEWSHOLME, 2001;LI et al 2007;JIANG et al 2009). …”

“…240, Art. 1582, Setembro, 2013 O aumento da concentração de glutamina e de glutamato no leite de porcas foi verificada por MANSO (2012) Segundo YOO et al (1997) quando leitões estão expostos a infecção moderada, a suplementação de glutamina mantém normal a concentração da glutamina muscular intracelular, as populações leucocitárias e as funções dos linfócitos. O fortalecimento da imunidade do leitão associado com a aceleração do desenvolvimento das vilosidades intestinais e proliferação dos enterócitos promovem em conjunto a diminuição da mortalidade de leitões pós-desmame, além disso, o efeito catabólico causado pela situação de estresse ou por doenças é diminuído, conferindo a importância da utilização da glutamina nas fases de gestação, lactação e pós-desmame.…”